How Philadelphia Eagles Master Their Social Media Presence Game

Final Project: Philadelphia Eagles

The social media I chose to analyze was that of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have been in existence since 1933 and currently play their home games in Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia. The iconic city of Philadelphia is home to one of the most raucous, intense, and passionate fans in the country. In order to cater to these rabid fans, the organization utilizes a number of social media platforms. The Eagles have a formal team website, Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram page, and a few others. The main four social media platforms are the main focus of this analysis. Each platform is used on a daily basis for one reason or another, but by far the most active is the Twitter account. The team website focuses their attention on the more devoted Eagles fans. The site provides statistics, recent stories, news articles, photos, a shop, a tab for the community, and much more. The website itself gives much more in depth analysis and investigation into the team, how it works, and the everyday life of the franchise. Many hardcore fans visit this page everyday.

The Facebook page for the organization is used mainly as a platform for interaction between the fans and between the fans and the organization. There are a large amount of pictures, advertisements, and polls. Fans are encouraged to comment, post, and share their thoughts in an environment dedicated specifically for the fan base. Information about the team and team events are distributed across the page, but Facebook is used mainly as a page for the community. Facebook is great for this because in today’s time, almost everyone has a Facebook, so it truly encompasses the whole fan base. The Twitter account is by far the most active of all the platforms. Dozens of tweets are sent, retweeted, and shared on this page. The information varies from advertisements for free Dunkin Donuts after an Eagles win to fan polls to the most breaking team news. Twitter is excellent for real time news and allows fans to constantly stay up to date with what the team is doing while also being able tom contribute and communicate amongst other fans. The reason this is the most frequently used is because the target audience is so large and important. Through Twitter, the organization is hoping to reach fans aged anywhere from a teenager to an adult in their late twenties. Twitter is a newer platform and is mostly used and dominated by the younger generation. Since this generation is always attached to their phones and computers, Twitter is the easiest way for the Eagles to disseminate information, offer advertisements, and receive feedback from polls. Lastly, the Instagram page offers a similar draw that Twitter does, but the approach is much different. By only posting pictures and videos, the organization hopes to indulge the entire Philadelphia community. All the pictures relate to the Eagles, but it is here that pictures of fans can be seen as well as pictures of Philadelphia itself and the community as a whole. Similarly, the target audience is the younger generation because they are always on Instagram. Additionally, this platform is also used to share information quickly and effectively. The Philadelphia Eagles organization utilizes social media platforms exquisitely. They constantly stay on top of information and news and are able to effectively communicate that to their fan base. They encourage integration of fan ideas and perspectives by offering polls and surveys a few times a week on each platform.

The team hopes to gain more publicity while also building a fun loving, welcoming personality. One could argue that the reason for this is that Philadelphia fans are portrayed so negatively across the country, but that wouldn’t be giving the organization the recognition they deserve. The franchise dove head first into social media platforms and it has worked out very well for them. The interactions with fans are very high and that does not appear to be changing nor should it. Fans love to have their voices heard whether the team actually listens or not. Each platform features an incredibly high amount of pictures and videos. This allows for the platforms to remain simplistic, but also draw in new people and keep old viewers interested. While there are some advertisements, there is not an overwhelming amount. The Eagles should consider possibly showcasing more promotions, deals, and offers across their platforms, but it does not seem as if that is their main goal. Their main goal when using these platforms is to connect with the fans and the community, not to bombard them with advertisements.

The Eagles realize that if you do not produce enough content, people will not stay on your page or come back. This is why they are so active and consistently trying to improve their social media platforms. They have a perfect amount of interaction as a whole. The team website is for the hardcore fans and offers everything you could possibly want. As a result of this, the other social media outlets offer a more relaxed, fun loving approach. Arguably the most successful platform is Twitter due to the fact that the team has perfectly meshed together the concepts of marketing while also having a positive relationship with the fans and allowing them to contribute their ideas and perspectives. The only thing I would change if I were the organization would be to possibly include a few more advertisements or at least promotions in hopes of bringing in some frugal fans. The tickets to games in Philadelphia are quite expensive, so offering a give away or discounted tickets would be a great benefit for a very low cost. The most successful example of this was when the Eagles offered free tickets to anyone who could find their mascot, Swoop, in Philadelphia. The first person to find him is given free tickets to the game that week. This is great for in season, but during the off-season there is a lull that needs to be addressed. One way they do this well is by communicating with the other Philadelphia sports teams by means of their social media platforms. It is not uncommon to see the Eagles twitter and the Philadelphia Phillies Twitter going back and forth with each other over that platform. Supporting the other teams during the off-season is a great way to bring new viewers to their pages and due to that this must be continued. Overall, the Philadelphia Eagles have, and always have had, an excellent social media presence and it does not appear as if that will change.